1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fluid pumping systems and, more particularly, to fluid pumping systems, such as those which are used for pumping fuel oil, which are resistant to flooding. The present invention also relates to a seal bracket assembly for use in pumping systems which provides for flood resistance and which may be used in new installations or readily retrofit to existing installations.
2. Description of Related Art
Current equipment presently utilized in fuel oil systems for heating and emergency backup power are typically located in basements of buildings where, during bad weather, flooding can commonly occur. For example, in 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused vast flooding in several states along the eastern seaboard of the United States, particularly causing extreme flooding in New York City, taking out the emergency backup power supplies for many large buildings.
Typically, such fuel oil systems, such as system 10 shown in FIG. 1, include a fuel oil pump 12 which is “long coupled” to an electric motor 14. In other conventional systems, such as system 20 shown in FIG. 2, a bracket configuration is alternatively employed wherein a rigid bracket member 22 is utilized to couple a fuel oil pump 24 to an electric motor 26. In each case, the pump 12,24 is coupled to the electric motor 14, 26 in a manner that leaves the linkage 16,28 between the motor 14,26 and the pump 12,24, and thus the shafts (not numbered) of both the motor 14,26 and the pump 12,24, completely exposed to the surrounding environment. For example, a long coupled configuration 10 (such as shown in FIG. 1) generally leaves the linkage 16 (shown schematically in dashed line) between the pump 12 and motor 14 exposed as a safety shield 18, employed simply to keep items from becoming entangled in the linkage 16, is generally the only structure near the linkage 16. Similarly, a standard bracket 22 (such as shown in FIG. 2) typically includes multiple openings 30 (only one is shown in the view of FIG. 2) for providing access, both visual and physical, to the linkage 28. For safety reasons, such openings 30 are typically covered with a mesh or other non-sealed structure. The problem with both arrangements is that water can enter the pump 12,24 and/or electric motor 14,26 via the shaft thereof and damage the pump 12,24, motor 14,26 and even related system equipment. Accordingly, such standard conventional pump/motor systems 10,20 cannot function in flood conditions, and many places do not have the resources or space needed to redesign such existing systems and/or relocate such systems 10,20 to other locations.
It thus would be desirable to provide an improved system that is resistant to flooding. It would also be desirable to provide an assembly which may be readily retrofit to existing installations and provide flood resistance.